Sweet Bird of Youth

Consider Tenneessee Williams one of the greats when it comes to play writing. 'Sweet Bird of Youth' is not quite 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof', 'A Streetcar Named Desire' and 'The Glass Menagerie', but it is nonetheless classic Williams and one of his best. Due to many things, the powerful emotional impact, challenging themes daring and ahead of the time to tackle back then, richly drawn characters and intelligent, realistic dialogue.

There are two filmed versions. One being the 1962 feature film with Geraldine Page and Paul Newman. The other being this 1989 television film. While neither are in the same league as the play, there is no doubt in my mind that the former is the better version. The bold themes may not have had their full impact, but they were intact still (more so than other film adaptations of Williams' work at that time that, although with much to recommend on their own terms, not just toned down the material but ommitted content which the film didn't do as badly), the chemistry was electric and the performances powerful. In the 80s and 90s, there were a number of television films made adapted from Williams' work and most of them were more faithful in detail and content (if not always in spirit) than their feature film counterparts. This 1989 'Sweet Bird of Youth' is an exception.

In that while Williams' intentions are clear this felt like 'Sweet Bird of Youth' re-ordered and re-invented, which it actually essentially was. It contains revisions made by Williams himself and a wider range of his writing, but a large part of me felt that it was not for the better, while its dilligence is admirable it is somewhat too on the academic side. The chemistry isn't on the same level here than to before, the steam generally is missing and personally thought that Elizabeth Taylor and Mark Harmon didn't quite sizzle enough together all the way through. Pace-wise, it feels rather staid, needed more edge, and the action could have opened up more because there can be a filmed stage play feel here and don't think that was quite the intent.

Due to the re-work and re-interpretations, some of the story is rather jumpy and can feel confused, and some of the characters that were major before are abridged to extended cameo-like. Taylor looks beautiful but unlike the out of this world portrayal of Geraldine Page in the 1962 film (am really trying not to compare but it is inevitable rather in this aspect because the difference in quality is so wide) her performance is uneven. There are some intensely moving moments, but also some overwrought ones and those that show a lack of energy. Surprising seeing as she was experienced in Williams, especially good in 'Suddenly, Last Summer'.

Mark Harmon though is good and has the right amount of intensity, his chemistry with Taylor has moments. This is a case though of the supporting cast making more of an impression than the leads. Ronnie Claire Edwards and Cheryl Paris make a lot out of their rather abridged roles and Valerie Perrine is heavenly as Miss Lucy. The best performance comes from Williams specialist Rip Torn, and also the cast member being most familiar with the play so knows it inside out, as a malevolent with a pinch of subtlety Boss Finley.

'Sweet Bird of Youth' is pleasing to look at, with Taylor's costumes looking ravishing. Williams' dialogue has lost none of its order despite the nature of how the play has been adapted. The direction is respectable if never properly distinguished and there are parts that have tension and poignancy (just wish there was more though). If there is one thing this does better than the feature film, it is the ending which doesn't feel as tidy or as odds with the mostly bleak tone.

Altogether, interesting and worth a peek but somewhat bland. 5/10

First off, I have never seen the original, so there won't be any comparisons to Geraldine Page. I wouldn't know her if I fell over her, actually. When I said unbiased, I meant I would not be comparing this to the original film. I will say that this movie is awful.

Tennessee Williams is a bit over my head, I think, so parts of this film were lost on me. It seems that Alexandra De Lago (Elizabeth Taylor) had been a star, but she's faded considerably. Apparently, she was away from the screen for some time, so her appearance surprised people. I shouldn't doubt it, as the poster for her attempted comeback shows Elizabeth Taylor in her early 20s. No wonder they're startled. She's 30-odd years older than they thought. Senility has set in early, and she simply can't keep her train of thought going for more than a few minutes before it derails, leaving her hopelessly confused. I found myself giggling every time she yelled "Where I am? Who are you?" I don't think it's supposed to be funny, but I laughed. Hard.

While staying at what looks like a hotel on the beach, Alexandra (a.k.a. the Princess Kosmonopolis, of all things) meets a hunky "masssage therapist." I put that in quotation marks, because while people seem to think he's a massage therapist, he's really a gigolo that preys on weak-minded older women. Who's more weak-minded than our laid-off legend, Alexandra. Oh, he's all over her, rubbing her back, which I didn't want to see, and unzipping her muumuu. (That's what it is, you know. Didn't want to see it, either.) Next scene, they're driving down the road. What road? What happened? At this point, I was in the same fix as Alexandra--completely confused. I realized that they'd been involved intimately, but why in the heck would she hook up with that goofball? (Goofball is played by the dreadfully horrible Mark Harmon, I guess.) As the "plot" develops, Goofball reveals himself to be a pathetic would-be blackmailer, and Alexandra reveals herself to be an equally pathetic, blackmailing, sex-starved "monster." That's her word for them--they're monsters. She's right about something, for once.

Along the way, we're forced to watch Goofball try to find his dream girl, aptly named Heavenly; we also have to sit through Elizabeth Taylor's slightly confused portrayal. Did anyone help her with this? Did the director ever tell her what to do? Is she supposed to be hilarious? What is going on?!?

I give this two out of five stars, as I enjoy a good bad movie.

Tennessee Williams when he wanted to get into his favorite subject of sex was never coy or shy about it. But the most brutal work he ever did was Sweet Bird Of Youth. So brutal that when Paul Newman and Geraldine Page repeated their roles for the screen it was toned down a lot by the omnipresent Code which would be gone in a few years.

Mark Harmon is not as charismatic as Paul Newman very few are. But he brings his own brand of sexy swagger to the role of Chance Wayne who is now the kept boy of fading film star Alexandra Del Lago played here by screen legend Elizabeth Taylor.

Taylor and Harmon are driving up the gulf coast of Florida and come to his home town where he was run out years ago after disgracing the daughter of Rip Torn the town boss played by Cheryl Paris. As the town gossip goes Paris was left with a social disease and under his express orders Torn had a hysterectomy performed on Paris. Mind you though the talk in such places as barbershops and hair salons leave some doubt as to how Paris got disgraced. Still and all the poor kid in town is a most convenient whipping boy.

So after years of drifting and getting by on looks and charm Harmon is in town with Taylor and he's looking for her to be his meal ticket to fame and fortune. Only this meal ticket proves to be bogus and Harmon gets some rough and ugly justice and his good looks and charm will now be for naught.

Rip Torn who was Junior Finley on both Broadway and on film now plays Boss Finley, the part Ed Begley got a Best Supporting Actor for. Torn is a big more subtle than Begley, but he's just as malevolent, maybe more. This version brings more of the politics of the late Fifties into the drama as Finley who has state wide ambitions is a rabid segregationist in the style of George Wallace and Lester Maddox.

This version of Sweet Bird Of Youth is a fine introduction to the work of Tennessee Williams and I'm glad it's now on DVD so that current audiences can enjoy.

Nicolas Roeg, the director of this film made several very fine films and ' Bad Timing ' is a masterpiece. Given the chance to direct it for television he does not quite succeed with Tennessee Williams fine play ' Sweet Bird of Youth. ' A previous film was made with Geraldine Page and Paul Newman. Page was excellent and Newman less so and the ending was deeply compromised. To Roeg's credit he gives a brilliant ending and the surgical instruments and the scream behind the door does the filmed play justice. Mark Harmon is arguably better in the role of the expensive gigolo ( that's what they were called back then!! ) than Paul Newman; more handsomely jaded and convincing. And in my opinion I could see his conflict between selling his body and the passionate romance within him for a lost love. Rip Torn is also excellent as the corrupt politician whose daughter is ' soiled ' by her previous contact with Harmon's Chance Wayne. As for Elizabeth Taylor as Alexandra del Lago, who is on the run from screen stardom she does it her way, less over the top than Page but for me utterly successful in her interpretation. Sadly with all this acting talent Nicolas Roeg allows various drafts of the play instead of the final version, and lessens the outstanding dialogue considerably. As I said only the ending really hits the spot, and in my opinion his use of overlaid music is terrible and the camera does nothing particularly interesting. I have no idea why he wanted to direct William's drama. I do not think he was in tune with it, but the actors were and they deserved better. Once again Elizabeth Taylor proved what a great actor she was when given the opportunity to shine, even in the hands of a director who half way fails in the project.

The success of a film is based on one thing and one thing only - chemistry - and Elizabeth Taylor and Mark Harmon positively sizzle in this film. You cannot take your eyes off them. The casting is right out of heaven. The story, of course, is pure Tennessee Williams, sordid and nasty and southern, but who cares when you're looking at two utterly gorgeous creatures like Elizabeth Taylor and Mark Harmon. The story really takes a back seat to this production which is quite lavish and hardly has the look of a television movie which is what it was. With a top flight director like Nicholas Roeg, how can you miss? You can't! Valerie Perrine in a supporting role really stands out. She is absolutely luminous and holds her own with Taylor in their scenes together. The supporting cast generally is excellent but Taylor and Harmon just cannot be beat when they are together they are so extraordinary.